9/23/69: Experiment with David Atwood

1969, 80 min, color, sound

9/23/69 is a newly restored treasure. This early masterwork of electronic experimentation was created by Paik while he was Artist-in-Residence at WGBH in Boston. The title refers to the day it was made — September 23, 1969. Paik creates a stunning visual collage that fuses spontaneous, free-form experimentation with virtuosity and control. Paik manipulates and merges pure electronic abstractions, footage captured "live" from television, prerecorded material, and images recorded in the studio, including the faces of WGBH producers Fred Barzyk and Olivia Tappan. Exploring the interactivity of video and audio synthesizers, Paik processes these images with live and prerecorded sounds.

Writes David Atwood: "That day was a time to use the WGBH studio, the cameras, video switcher, etc. to create imagery that Paik had in mind for the future. And, more significantly, for Paik to assess the resulting costs and process of creating those images. The Paik/Abe synthesizer was created from the results of that day... "

9/23/69 allows the viewer the rare pleasure of observing Paik in the process of inventing his unique visual vocabulary. This previously unreleased work reveals insights into the development of Paik's electronic imagery, and, as the title suggests, captures the immediacy of the place and the moment.

Although 9/23/69 was never broadcast in its entirety, segments were incorporated into other Paik works, including Video Commune.

 
 

PLEASE NOTE: Allow extra lead-in time if you are planning a public screening or exhibition of Nam June Paik's single screen video works. All such orders must be forwarded by EAI to the Paik Studio for their agreement before any event can be confirmed.